Page 27 of So I Dared a Dragon

“Some of us were able to shift fully once we saw sunlight. And some dragons kept other characteristics. We’ve been doing alterations, none as nice as this.” I cautioned a quick glance at the guys. I didn’t blame them for not trusting Bibi yet. It wasn’t just her sparkle that drew me to her. I didn’t understand her role, but she seemed to know what it was like to start completely over. And she was willing to help us, even if I was getting impatient waiting for these promised dates. I survived for four hundred years inside that mountain, I could wait a few more days to make things perfect for my mate. “We were hoping the longer we have sunlight exposure, the more we’d be able to shift.”

Her bright pink lips formed an O. She was dressed in a shiny pink body suit, and her hair was a cloud of pastel pink. “That’s a fascinating theory. Have you seen any evidence of it working?”

“Not yet.” I sighed.

“I must say, you’re all handsome exactly as you are.” Her eyes glittered. “And I know you’re not that familiar with the internet yet, but our viewers have a very active community online, and they’re fascinated by you and can’t wait to learn everything about you. That is, of course, what you’re willing to share.”

“About that.” I motioned toward the window, which gave us a view of the Rocky Mountain range in all its red rock, snowcapped glory. “When will we be able to start our research on the local dragons?”

“Soon,” Bibi said. “We’ve spoken to Wendy, our shifter archeologist, and Laura, our pack librarian. They’re actively searching for resources for you, so your search can be as efficient as possible. We also have Lars, Bigfoot, who would have firsthand knowledge of what happened.”

“We’d love to talk to him. All of them, actually, before we start the episode.”

Magnus cleared his throat loudly, his not-so-subtle way of letting me know he thought I was way too soft.

“We’d like to fly in.” Magnus never wasted an opportunity to make himself heard. “We’d be able to reach places we can’t in our human forms. See things that we might otherwise miss.”

Bibi’s eyes widened. “Is that safe?”

“Who do we need to fear?” Luca asked.

“Fear isn’t the right emotion.” Bibi frowned. “It’s the humans I worry about. They’re used to wolves, bears, and even Bigfoot. But they’d never seen dragons before you arrived. I don’t want to give them a reason to fear you.”

“That’s fair,” I said. The humans in Tennessee had been spelled against our flight. We didn’t have the goddesses and enchantresses here to aid us.

“We can show you all the places where the dire wolves had set up their operations,” Bibi offered. “You might see things we didn’t know to look for. I’ll put you in touch with our security team too. We have them stationed pretty deep in the mountains as a first line of defense.”

“That sounds like a good place to start.” Was it a perfect plan? Hell, no. These mountains ran for thousands of miles. Our last known communication with these dragons had been lost. Forgotten. But we had been allies at one time. We owed this to them.

If we couldn’t save them, the least we could do was tell their story.

“Excellent.” Bibi brought her hands together. “We planned to do final interviews and some B-roll today before you and Calista go on your first date, but we can start helping you do the research and hopefully unlock these mysteries for you. But I have to ask—if we find these dragons, what happens next?”

“Sunset Springs is used to unusual shifter activity, but we’re probably not prepared for an entire dragon thunder to bereleased from a mountain,” Marissa added. “Our first priority is everyone’s safety. Not only for those who are on the show, but also, the residents of this town and anyone we might discover on our way.”

I liked that they were thinking ahead and proceeding with caution. There was absolutely no telling what we’d find in these mountains. “First, we need to find the dragon and see what the conditions are. How many of them survived. And then we can ask them what they’ve envisioned for their freedom.”

“If they want to be found,” Luca said. “Especially by us.”

Everyone turned and looked at him.

“Some of our thunder is having a hard time acclimating to life outside the mountain,” he explained. “Life is very different from when we were last free. So we can’t ignore the question—if we find them, is this the life they want to live?”

“No dragon should be imprisoned underground,” Magnus snarled. “Dragons need to fly free.”

“The world has changed, and freedom means they get to make their own decisions,” I reminded him.

“All things that must be considered. We’ll make sure to treat their history and legacy with the utmost respect.” Bibi gave us a tight smile as the tension rose in the room. “It might seem trite to change the subject, but speaking of decisions, Calista’s been working very hard to plan your first date. I won’t spoil the surprise, but she wanted me to check some things.”

My pulse quickened at the thought of my mate. She was so close but still so far away. “Ask away.”

She brightened, much more comfortable with this subject matter. Which made me wonder if she knew more than she was letting on. “Will you be comfortable out in public? At a restaurant or perhaps a nightclub? Is that something you would do back home?”

“Do you have anyone who can spell the humans, so they see what we need them to see?”

Bibi glanced at Marissa, who shook her head.

“As far as we know, we don’t have anyone with magic that powerful here. But your unexpected arrival on stage was well documented. People are expecting to see you. Again, we’ll have security available, but our main priority is making you feel comfortable so you can concentrate on Calista.”

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